Articles

What is an article?
An article is a word that modifies or describes the Noun. It is used before the noun to show
whether it refers to something specific or not. So, in a way, articles can also be described as a
type of adjectives as they also tell us something about the nouns, like adjectives.
Types of Articles
There are two types of Articles in the English language. They are as follows:
Definite article: Definite means to be clear, exact or obvious about something. It is called
definite because it is used in relation to a particular thing or person. The is the definite article
in English, which is used to refer to particular nouns, the identities of which are known. The
definite article indicates that the noun is specific. The speaker talks about a particular thing. For
example:
The cat sat on the couch.
The dog attacked me and ran away.
Notice how the reference is not left indefinite in both the sentences. It is clear that a particular
cat sat on the couch in the first sentence and a specific dog that attacked the speaker is being
spoken about in the second example.
Indefinite articles: Indefinite means something which is not clear, obvious or exact. They are
called indefinite because the identity of the thing or person being spoken about is left unclear or
indefinite. The indefinite article indicates that the noun is not someone or something in
particular. The speaker talks about any one of that type of things. The indefinite articles in
English are "a" and "an."For example:
Do you have a pencil?
I want to have an apple.
Notice how the speaker is not asking for a particular pencil or apple, but any pencil or apple in
the above sentences.
Difference between A and An
Indefinite articles a/an are used as follows:
A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound. Consonant letters in the English
alphabet are B,C,D,F,G,H,J,K,L,M,N,P,Q,R,S,T,V,W,X,Y,Z.
For example: A boy, a cat, a dog, a fight, a gym, a horse, a joke, a kite, a lion, a mirror, a noise,
a pin, a quilt, etc.
An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound. Vowel letters in the English
alphabet are A, E, I, O, U.
For example: An apple, an elephant, an idiot, an orange, an umbrella, etc.
Note here that the usage is on the basis of sound and not only the letter the word starts with.

For example:
An hour
An honest man
A one eyed dog
Do these seem wrong to you?
Theyre not and the reason is that the usage is on the basis of sound. The words 'hour' and
'honest' both begin with a vowel sound, as the consonant 'h' is not pronounced. Similarly, the
word 'one' begins with the consonant sound of 'w' and hence is written as 'a one eyed dog', not
'an one eyed dog'.
Also, remember that we use "a" and "an" only before a singular noun. We can't use "a" and "an"
before a plural noun. For example:
A book - correct
A books - incorrect
An egg - correct
An eggs incorrect
Tips to remember the differences in a nutshell
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant : a bag, a pen, etc.
an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an egg; an orphan, etc.
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound:a user(sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e.,
gives a 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a European, etc.
an + nouns starting with silent "h":an hour; an honest man, etc.
NOTE:
These rules also apply in Acronyms.
For example:
He is a DU (Delhi University) student.
He is an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) graduate.
The rule also applies when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds.
For example:
She is an MBA (Master of Business Administration).
When/If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the
initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article.
For example:
a beautiful umbrella

an unusual situation
a European country (pronounced as 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e., sounds like consonant 'y')
A/An is used to indicate membership in a group.
For example:

I am a journalist. (I am a member of a large group of professionals known as journalists.)

She is an Indian. (She is a member of the people from India, known as Indians.)

Difference between A and The

"The", as mentioned earlier, is used to give information about particular or known nouns. These
are usually things that have been mentioned before or that the listener is familiar with. On the
other hand, "A" or "an" is used to talk about things which are not particular. Usually, these are
things that haven't been mentioned before or that the listener is unfamiliar with.
For example, study these sentences:
I went to see a tattoo artist.
The tattoo artist has given me an appointment next week.
It is clear that in the first sentence, the speaker did not go to see a particular tattoo artist. He/she
went to see any tattoo artist and was speaking to a friend about the same. The tattoo artist in this
case has either not been mentioned before or is not that important, and therefore their identity is
unknown.
Whereas in the second sentence, the speaker refers to the tattoo artist that had already been
mentioned before. The identity is already known, therefore, the has been used to refer the
tattoo artist.
Usage of the
Lets study the different cases where the can or cannot be used.
Count and Noncount Nouns
The can either be used with noncount nouns or the article can be omitted entirely. For example:
She liked to sail over the water. Here, some specific body of water is being talked about.
She liked to sail over water. Here, no particular water is being talked about. It can refer to
any water.
A/An can be used only with single count nouns.
I need a bottle of juice.
I need an eraser.
Use of the in case of geography
There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.

Do not use the before:

names of most countries/territories: India, Brazil, Canada; however, the Netherlands, the
Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
names of cities, towns, or states: Toronto, Delhi, Sao Paolo
names of streets: Callowhill Drive, Park Avenue
names of lakes and bays: Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario; except while referring to a group of
lakes - the Great Lakes
names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains
like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like theMatterhorn
names of continents: Asia, Europe
names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains likethe Andaman
Islands, the Canary Islands
Use the before:
names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Ganga, the India Ocean
points on the globe: the Equator, the South Pole
geographical areas: the South East, the Asia Pacific
deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Kalahari, the Sunderbans
Where articles are not used?
The usage of articles is one of the most confusing things to remember for many English
learners. It is not always necessary to use articles everywhere. Our tip is to remember the cases
where articles should not be used.
Do not use articles:
When you talk about things in general.
For example: I like birds.
Here, the speaker wants to imply that he/she likes any bird in general, and not a specific
type of a bird.
When talking about plural count nouns.
For example: Dogs make great pets.
Here, you are not talking about one specific dog or one specific pet; you are talking about all
dogs in general.
When talking about non-count nouns.
For example: I love music.
Here, the speaker is saying that he enjoys music, in general not any specific kind of music or
song.

 When talking about specific days or holidays, geography, companies, languages.

For example: I have bought candles for Diwali.
Here, the speaker is talking about the candles he has bought to use on the day of Diwali.
When talking about Geography.
Articles are not used before countries, states, cities, towns, continents, single lakes, single
mountains, etc.
For example: I live in Canada.
Mt. Rosa is part of the Alps mountain range.
Here, Mt. Rosa is one mountain, whereas The Alps refer to a group of mountains.
A table to remember when or when not to use Articles
Different cases
A/ An is
used

The is
used

No article
is used

Examples
When mentioning something for the
first time.

I went for a movie.

When talking about something which

belongs to a set of the same thing.

This is a pen.

When talking about someone who

belongs to a certain group.

She is an engineer.

When talking about a certain kind of a

thing.

I've have made a great

movie.

When wanting to say that someone is a

certain kind of person.

She is a shy girl.

When talking about a particular thing.

The movie that I went

for was fantastic.

When talking about something that you

are sure of.

I cleared the interview.

When there is only one such thing.

I dont like to go out in

the sun.

When talking about

something in general.

Swimming is a great
physical activity.

When talking about cities,

countries, streets, sports, etc.

We visited France.
We watched soccer
together.